Advice: 1958- 1966 stereo TT ? What should I get?

biscuithead

Me likes the eargasm retroplasm...
I have a room that I try to keep "era" correct... all of my equipment is from 1956 through 1964. EXCEPT my Turntable... (Dual 1019)
I am looking for suggestions on which table should I try....???

My requirements:
1.) Stereo (2 channel)
2.) Belt drive
3.) plays at least 33rpm, I am ok with just 33, or 2 speed or 3 speed
4.) it must have been manufactured before 1966
5.) ~$400 budget , although less is good also, I don't mind doing a little work on a fixer upper...

Thanks!
 
Thorens
AR
Rek-o-kut
Fairchild
HH scott
Empire
????

Pros? Cons?

I could be mistaken, but Thorens didn't make a belt drive until '66.

A "period correct" AR has no cue device if that is a problem for you. Although it may be the easiest to source.
 
In belt drive, and your era, you have these options!

AR TT or AR XA
Empire 208
Rek-O-Kut belt drive
Fairchild
Stromberg-Carlson Perfectempo (the original belt drive suspended deck which fathered the AR and subsequent variants)

Thorens did not make a belt drive until the TD 150 of 1966. Before that, they made idler drive or idler drive/belt drive turntables. HH Scott's turntable then was gear driven.
 
Empire 208, 298, 398 is tough to beat. I've had one for a year now and love it. I've had some fairly high end tables over the years and the Empire keeps up with them with ease. It's a very musical table!
 
The Empire would be hard to beat. But even a basket case unless he's lucky will exceed his budget.

I just bought ( an hour ago) an AR XA locally pretty cheap... box and dustcover and working... No head shell or cart though... Suggestions?
I haven't had a chance to really look at it, but it was a no brainer price.

I could always sell off some of my other stuff to increase my budget for an Empire... but I'm gonna try out this AR...
 
I was just contacted by someone with a 1953 Components Corp. Mono...

Anybody have thoughts/experience with this? Is a stereo conversion as simple as installing new wires and cart and RCAs?

Would I want to defile this tt with a Stereo conversion?
 
I could be mistaken, but Thorens didn't make a belt drive until '66.

A "period correct" AR has no cue device if that is a problem for you. Although it may be the easiest to source.

You're right...
I'm Ok with eliminating Thorens from the list...
 
In belt drive, and your era, you have these options!

AR TT or AR XA
Empire 208
Rek-O-Kut belt drive
Fairchild
Stromberg-Carlson Perfectempo (the original belt drive suspended deck which fathered the AR and subsequent variants)

Thorens did not make a belt drive until the TD 150 of 1966. Before that, they made idler drive or idler drive/belt drive turntables. HH Scott's turntable then was gear driven.

Thanks!

I just read about Philips and Components Corp. mono turntables... Early 50s versions... Would a Stereo conversion disrespect the originality of the equipment? I do not have any mono set-ups besides a few consoles...
 
for the AR XA, look to ebay for headshells. the shure m91ed is my favorite cart on the XA, and is the one AR recommended for the table. a denon dl160 also pairs well with an AR, and many like a grado as well.

the XA is very hard to beat.




.
 
an impractical, but very attractive option is a Weathers. I have a Townsend that looks just awesome. I wish it performed as well as it looks. The AR is a better rig, though it does look a bit more plain than the Weathers. the money on that one went to engineering. I would love an S-C Perfectempo sometime though. Those are just cool looking.
 
I was just contacted by someone with a 1953 Components Corp. Mono...

Anybody have thoughts/experience with this? Is a stereo conversion as simple as installing new wires and cart and RCAs?

Would I want to defile this tt with a Stereo conversion?

Converting a mono turntable to stereo is relatively simple, BUT:

Mono turntables weren't concerned with vertical rumble, because the signal was purely horizontal. Changing a quiet mono turntable to stereo may uncover rumble the original designers never knew about. My very first stereo turntable, in 1959, was a Garrard RC-80 that had been converted; the rumble was so obvious I replaced it with an RC-88 very quickly.

This may or may not be true for belt drive, but it's at least something to think about. I'm thinking an AR might be your best choice from a usefulness viewpoint (I used to have one of those, too...it replaced a Bogen/Lenco I never liked).

Happy trails,
Larry B.
 
Converting a mono turntable to stereo is relatively simple, BUT:

Mono turntables weren't concerned with vertical rumble, because the signal was purely horizontal. Changing a quiet mono turntable to stereo may uncover rumble the original designers never knew about. My very first stereo turntable, in 1959, was a Garrard RC-80 that had been converted; the rumble was so obvious I replaced it with an RC-88 very quickly.

This may or may not be true for belt drive, but it's at least something to think about. I'm thinking an AR might be your best choice from a usefulness viewpoint (I used to have one of those, too...it replaced a Bogen/Lenco I never liked).

Happy trails,
Larry B.

Right On! I can't wait to get some time and really clean up this AR, install a headshell & cart, and plug it in to either my Scott 299c or my Fisher 400, and listen to the lovely whispers that will pour out my University's, Jensen triplex (center) and my Wharfedales... I am just starting to build this system...
 
I've used both Shure M91s and Grado Gold/8MZ on mine with fine results. The Grado sound appeals to me.

I'm a huge fan of the Empire 208, but mine came sans tonearm so I fitted it with an Audiomods arm, which is fantastic but blows the vintage look. I take the platter off sometimes just to feel the heft and revel in the quality. Mine was a basket case so I had no problem powder coating it.
 
I just bought ( an hour ago) an AR XA locally pretty cheap... box and dustcover and working... No head shell or cart though... Suggestions?
I haven't had a chance to really look at it, but it was a no brainer price.

I could always sell off some of my other stuff to increase my budget for an Empire... but I'm gonna try out this AR...

What about trying to find a Rek-O-Kut Micropoise arm? They are out there and do have the vintage look. Most have pitting issues but I've seen nice ones on the auction site.

Or will that screw up the AR's suspension? The only one I ever had came with the stock arm. It was a great table.
 
Not something you can install on an AR. The Micropoise tonearms were made until 1992 by the way. Broadcast Electronics purchased Rek-O-Kut and QRK. And really from 1967 or so, mainly marketed to broadcast use.
 
Just out of curiosity, why are you disregarding idler models? There were some excellent examples built in that era?
 
Just out of curiosity, why are you disregarding idler models? There were some excellent examples built in that era?

I have a Mag imperial, a Collaro, a V of M, a Columibia (I think this is a vm also), a Zenith, a Dual 1008 & 1019, a Perpetuum Ebner, 2 Garrards, A Mitchel 3-D reproducer, a Zenith, and a Elac ... all (not the1019) in consoles in this room... no disregarding... just expanding/upgrading...

This is very much my retro-music room, I like to listen to the music upon the media and equipment in which it was released...

The 1019 is my only stand-alone unit and I want to reserve it for my 78s only... I really like the sound and I wouldn't need to switch out carts...
 
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